In a surprising turn of events, a man accused of rape in London has denied being angry over a call from Barron Trump, the US President’s son, shortly before the alleged assault. Matvei Rumiantev, a 22-year-old Russian citizen, is facing charges of assault and two counts of rape, all of which he denies.
During the court proceedings at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, Rumiantev was questioned by prosecutor Serena Gates about his reaction to the incoming FaceTime call from Barron Trump. “It was hard for me not to be jealous,” he admitted, but stated that he was “quite used to her receiving calls” and “didn’t attach much weight to that one day.”
Rumiantev told the court that the alleged victim was in a “hysterical state” when Trump called, and he had “wanted to make her understand what she was doing was wrong.” However, he maintained that he was not angry, but rather “quite exhausted” at the time.
When pressed on whether he had been jealous of men the woman might have spoken to, Rumiantev said, “What I was really unhappy about was that she was frankly leading [Trump] on.”
The defendant’s account contradicts the prosecution’s claim that he “flew into a rage” when he noticed the missed calls from Trump and attacked the victim as the US President’s son watched on FaceTime. Rumiantev told the court, “I was jealous to some extent,” but denied that his actions were driven by anger or jealousy.
The court was shown a video that the prosecution said depicted the alleged victim on the floor, crying, with Rumiantev standing and speaking to her in Russian, saying, “Do you understand?” The defendant explained this as an attempt to “make her understand what she was doing was unreasonable.”
Barron Trump, who had contacted the woman through social media, informed the police that he “didn’t expect her to pick up due to the time difference.” However, the call was answered, and Trump reported seeing “a shirtless man with darkish hair” before the view switched to the alleged victim.
As the trial continues, the jury will have to weigh the defendant’s claims of not being driven by anger or jealousy against the prosecution’s allegations of a violent assault. The outcome will have significant implications for all parties involved.
